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Physician Assitants Essay

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A physician assistant is a medical practitioner who works under the supervision of a licensed doctor. However the doctor does not have to be present while the physician assistant performs. If a doctor is unavailable and it is an emergency the physician assistant or PAs can talk over the phone with a doctor. Fewer than 100 PAs were practicing in 1970 and about 74,800 physician assistants are employed in the United States now (“Physician”). Physician assistants help the community everyday by helping with illness, and a lot of other health issues. They work every day to help and treat people and they are a big help to doctors. Pas alleviate some stress from the doctors and creates a healthier environment for everyone.
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The medical cases they handle depend on their education, experience, state laws, and type of practice they are in (“Fields,2”). Physician Assistants help reduce the waiting time for patients and spend more time answering questions and examining patients then the physicians do (“Physician”).
There are a few requirements to become a Physician Assistant. Depending on the state, students trying to become a PA must pass a certifying examination after graduation from the accredited program. They are then PA-C which means Physician Assistant- Certified. To stay certified, most states require 100 hours of continuing education every 2 years and a recertification exam every 6 years (“Fields, 3”). It is important that PAs are nice, caring, stable people who like to help others and must have good communication skills and leadership skills. Someone who wants to be a Physician Assistant should also not mind being around injured and ill patients (“Fields, 3”). A PA also needs to be good with numbers and know about the human body and how it works. Most states require an educational program called AAPA (American Academy of Physician Assistants. This is a 24 to 32 month program that teaches all the specifics of the job such as human anatomy, physiology, clinical pharmacology, Medicine ethics, and hands on experience (“Physician, 2”). There are mandatory training requirements for Physician Assistants in individual states. A

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